Building a raised garden bed is a great step towards building a great garden. There is something so rewarding about watching a seedling or a starter plant grow.
All worthwhile projects however need to start with a good plan of what it is going to be like when completed. Failing to plan is planning to fail
Building your first raised garden bed.
Raised garden beds whether they are to be filled with vegetables and herbs or even flowers can be made using a framed structure or large plant pots. If you are not buying a ready made package or kit I would suggest that some knowledge of building construction is necessary.
Raised Garden Bed Design
Determine where you want the raised beds to go, if you want to incorporate the raised garden bed into the landscape or have it as a stand alone garden.
Construction of your Raised Garden Bed.
By this time you should have marked off the raised bed garden space in your garden for the raised bed and worked out whether you are going to put a plastic barrier sheet over the old soil or work directly into the existing ground soil. We will be going into the advantages and disavantages of each method in a seperate article.
Construct your frame according to the kits instructions. Secure all your joints with the proper hardware.
Raised Garden Bed Soil
Normally in a established garden the soil can be drained of some of the appropriate nutrients your plants will need to be healthy and strong. A new raised garden bed means you can start afresh with the correct conditions for your plants (both vegetables and flowers). Start by talking to your local nursery experts about what you are going to need to use. I would also consider buying in bulk depening on size of your container in order to get the best price. The small bags of composting materials will work out very expensive. Look for something that will be loose and light to give good drainage if you want a healthy garden bed.
Plants Suitable For A Raised Garden Bed
Spend time looking at seed catalogues – this is part of the fun of gardening after all – adn choose plants that will complement each other. I grow lots of vegetables in my raised beds and one thing I continually watch for is planting too many of one one variety. After all if my family can’t eat them all they could go to waste. Given the wide variety of seeds now readily available you can afford to experiment with new ideas
A good project starts with a great idea and needs a plan. Building a raised garden isn’t rocket science, but needs to be thought out. Learning how to build a raised garden bed and gathering all your material becomes a great weekend project, so you can be on your way to a bountiful harvest!